TECHNICAL FLASH Issue 2015 / 2 3D AND AIRBAG FABRICS SENSITIVE YARNS SOPHISTICATED AND HEAVY FABRICS ROBOTICS AND CONNECTORS Technical Jacquard weaving Weaving preparation solutions for Weaving solutions for reinforcement and Fast moving technology from the solutions increased quality heavy fabrics Group Stäubli solutions for technical textiles Applications for technical textiles are progressively Key factors here are a full century of experience expanding into new and challenging areas. For some in the classical textile industry plus the time now, textile surfaces have been used in the continual development and perfecting of high- High-tech in 3 activities manufacturing of certain body parts for automobiles performance machines, including of course beyond the luxury class as well as in the interiors those for manufacturing technical textiles. Stäubli Founded as a small company in 1892, Stäubli of practically all motor vehicles – from floor mats to introduced the SAFIR S30, a unique drawing-in quickly grew into an international manufacturer seat covers to ceiling panels – and most automotive machine that redefines conventional drawing in. of textile machines. Over the years, this acoustical materials would be unimaginable without original business was expanded into additional technical textiles. Innovative in design and operation, this machine, which business areas that gradually became parts of is specialised for drawing in filaments, boasts very the Group’s activities: The Connectors activity It is now standard practice that aircraft fuselages, high quality and productivity. With its mobile base, the was established in the 1950s and the Robotics or nearly entire airplanes, are built with the aid of SAFIR S30 can be used in the weaving mill precisely activity in 1980. industrial textiles. In the health care field, specially where it is needed: directly at the warp beam – from treated textiles are used to support the healing of which feeds directly into steel or synthetic O-healds. These three highly successful activities, which patients. The list of application possibilities can be Turn to page 4 of this issue of Flash to find out how mutually support and cross-fertilize one another extended almost ad infinitum, and new ideas arise the SAFIR S30 also masters the challenges of drawing with their various technologies, today form the every day as researchers and engineers find new in highly delicate glass yarns. backbone of the globally active Stäubli Group. areas in which technical advances, better materials, weight reduction, cost savings, and much more can In close collaboration with its customers, Stäubli has be realized through the use of textiles. optimized and perfected its machines for textiles production, and today manufacturers around the When it comes to fabrics used in textile surfaces, world use Stäubli machines for technical textiles. On Scan to learn more about Stäubli’s solutions one can safely assume that Stäubli machines have the following pages you will find several examples of for technical fabrics been used in the production of most materials Stäubli machines being used to make such textiles. produced worldwide. With core competencies in We hope you will find the reading informative and the areas of shed formation (dobbies, cam motions, interesting. and Jacquard machines) and weaving preparation (warp drawing-in and tying machines), Stäubli carries a significant share of the responsibility for the design and quality of the end products. COMPLEX FABRICS Be innovative! Numerous weaving mills have specialized in the creation of complex technical fabrics, e.g. those used for making composites. They are continually on the lookout for innovative technologies that allow them to make new fabrics the world has never seen before. 3D assembly of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic UNIVAL 100 servo-driven single-end-control Jacquard machine Photo: courtesy Sigmatex (UK) LTD. 3D textiles for new applications Powerful control unit serves as development tool In recent years we have seen the appearance of a The high-performance JC7U control unit allows new type of technical multilayer fabric, so-called 3D programming and storage of shedding parameters: textiles. Finished products incorporating these textiles control of shed geometry, opening profile, phase are being used in applications with increasingly shift, and closed shed. An interface allows special more stringent mechanical requirements. A special programming functions to be imported from a CAD/ example is the aerospace industry, where traceability CAM system in order to set the shed thread by thread and reproducibility are central aspects of product and pick by pick. specifications. Critical in the production of such industrial textiles is the ability to precisely control the The knowledge and know-how of the user remains arrangement of the warp threads within the shed of completely protected when using UNIVAL 100 as the various layers. a development tool for all sorts of fabrics, including technical textiles. Even the traceability of the production process becomes a reality. Weaving events Monitor on control unit JC7U displaying weaving parameters UNIVAL 100 – perfectly suited for technical fabrics and condition logs can be downloaded for each part The compact UNIVAL, with its modular design, is woven. perfectly suited for the production of all sorts of flat Unlimited possibilities fabrics, and furthermore for applications in technical To remain highly competitive and derive full benefit textiles, which require utmost reliability in shed from the machine, weaving mills use the unlimited formation and extremely high control accuracy. possibilities of the UNIVAL 100 to develop and weave new types of textiles that until today were unimaginable. A wide range of formats The UNIVAL 100 is available in several formats and a variety of configurations. It opens new possibilities and allows production of a great diversity of technical textiles and 3D multilayer fabrics. Depending on the configuration desired, the unit can be fitted with 512 to 15,360 actuators in various designs. T-shaped woven bar before and after moulding with plastic. 2.7“ multilayer fabric made of glass fibre yarns Photo: courtesy M. Wright & sons LTD. Photo: courtesy T.E.A.M. Inc. 2 WEAVING FOR AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY Modern production of sophisticated airbags Airbags are standard in every car today. They are an indispensable safety feature that protects the driver and passengers in case of a collision. Because every car model is different, airbags are tailor made for every seat in the car, front and back. Airbag fabric with woven seam Advanced automotive safety At the heart of the LXL are MX modules as the link Advanced developments in automotive safety have led between the lifting mechanism and the harness. For to the introduction of airbags mounted in the sides of each weft insertion, each hook of the modules can the seats and in the roof above the doors. Depending be either up or down, corresponding to the individual on their complexity, airbags are made of flat-woven pattern required for each type of airbag, and adapting fabric, which is cut and seamed, or made in one piece to the complexity of the design. Each hook is driven with woven seams (OPW = one-piece woven). independently, thanks to an operator-friendly JC7 controller in which all weaving data are stored and then transmitted to the Jacquard modules, pick by New airbag manufacturing methods pick. All data can be easily transferred to and from the The latest Jacquard technology has made it possible Jacquard controller via USB key or network. to manufacture complex airbag structures with woven seams. These OPW airbags give designers immense flexibility in creating patterns and designs. They also Just as all airbags are tailored to meet their functions Tailor-made Stäubli harness reduce the number of production steps, thereby and position in the car, the Jacquard harness – the reducing production time. Side-curtain airbags, link between the hooks of the Jacquard machine and activated by a lateral collision, are shaped according to the warp threads – is custom built. Stäubli harnesses the interior contour of the particular car they are fitted are manufactured to exactly meet the customer’s in. Their shape and structure are created at the weaving requirements, in particular, the fabric to be woven and stage. As a result, no subsequent sewing operation is the weaving machine. This ensures a perfect shed required. To effectively protect passengers in a rollover, opening. OPW side-curtain airbags must remain inflated for several seconds. This is best accomplished by using a sealed cushion with woven seams. A Stäubli promise Weaving for automotive safety means weaving airbags MX module – interface between OPW airbags are woven on modern high-speed with the LXL. It’s not a slogan, it’s a proven solution. Jacquard machine and harness weaving machines. The warp material, the variety of fabric patterns, and the importance of precisely shaped airbags require the use of a robust and reliable Jacquard machine. For maximum flexibility in the creation and design of airbags, weavers require a high number of hooks, which offers the possibility to control each individual warp end. LXL meets the highest production requirements The range of Stäubli Jacquard machines includes the perfect machine to meet the requirements of airbag weavers world-wide: the LXL, available in formats from 6,144 hooks to 18,432 hooks. Its lifting mechanism ensures accurate shed geometry and absolutely vibration-free operation even at high speeds. The extra-reinforced drive elements and the rigid structure of the LXL permit weaving very high-load fabrics such LXL electronic Jacquard machine – ideal for airbags as airbags, because of the warp yarn used. 3 SAFIR S30 masters the challenges of glass yarn Sustainability Continual industrialisation is forcing mankind to think more and more about sustainability and efficient use of resources. Industry is increasingly searching for alternative materials to replace natural resources. A good example is the use of glass- fibre fabrics in a wide range of applications.